This invention relates to adjustment arrangements for a two or more rear view mirrors of a vehicle.
Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 60-050048 and 02-106462 disclose vehicle adjusting arrangements in which the joint adjustment of at least two rear view mirrors can be accomplished by using a selector switch unit. These selector switch units are constructed so that, in addition to a switch position for the joint adjustment, two additional switch positions are provided for the separate individual actuation of each rear view mirror. To permit joint adjustments of two rear view mirrors, therefore, a selector switch unit is disclosed having a structure which is fundamentally different from the two-step selector switch units which are conventional for ordinary mirror adjustment in the construction of vehicles.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-206441 describes an adjusting device for rear view mirrors which includes an interior rear view mirror as a servo element for automatic adjustment of two rear view mirrors. By using position sensors associated with the interior rear view mirror, the adjustment of the interior rear view mirror by the operator is utilized for automatic co-adjustment of the two exterior rear view mirrors.
German Patent No. 34 06 286 discloses a rear view mirror adjusting arrangement in which only a single setting of an actuating element is required for joint adjustment of two rear view mirrors. That arrangement has a comparator circuit which assures that, upon adjustment of a first rear view mirror, preferably, the one on the driver's side, the second rear view mirror, preferably the one on the passenger side, is automatically co-adjusted so that it too is optimally coordinated with the position of the driver's eye. In that patent, it is expressly noted that, for optimal adaption to a driver's eye position, different characteristics of the two rear view mirrors to be adjusted must be taken into account. That is accomplished by providing a separate transformer circuit which cooperates with the comparator circuit. The disclosed adjusting arrangement, which is considered to be advantageous in terms of operation, requires substantial cost for the sensory and regulatory electronic equipment required to carry out the basic functions.
An arrangement for joint adjustment of at least two rear view mirrors is also disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 42 41 543. In that arrangement, however, the joint adjustment is made from a so-called service position to a tilted shading position. In other words, the adjustment of rear view mirrors is made to avoid reflections from the headlights of following vehicles in the eyes of the vehicle operator, especially at night. The tilted antiglare positions of the two rear view mirrors, however, are not coordinated with each other.